Students qualify for history event

Fourteen scholars from Holgate, Central heading to national gathering in June in Maryland

Fourteen scholars from Holgate, Central heading to national gathering in June in Maryland

May 15, 2008|From staff reports

Fourteen Aberdeen School District students have qualified for National History Day on June 14-19 at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. Seven Holgate Middle School students have qualified and are expected to compete at the national event. They are: Daniel DeBoer, Ben Hansen, Rachel Margolies, Taylor Paysen, Mitchell Pence, Kate Porter and Ari West. Seven Aberdeen Central students have qualified for National History Day: Alexander Downing, Alexander Friedrichsen, Jason Glatt, Michael Holkesvik, Ka Man Lee, Michael Marmorstein and Landon Sutton. Several of those students may not make the trip because of scheduling conflicts. The History Day teachers are Jane Perman, Barb Gehrts and Rose Des Camps. Both groups qualified at the national event at the State History Day Competition at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion in March. Record set: The Holgate contingent is making history. The seven students going to National History Day is a record for the school, Des Camps said. This year, more than 80 students from Central, Simmons Middle and Holgate participated in the regional contest and approximately 25 students qualified to compete at the state competition. Students involved in National History Day research topics of local, national or world history that relate to a theme. Students spend much of the year conducting extensive primary and secondary research on their topic. They present their findings through papers, exhibits, performances and documentaries. This year's theme was "Conflict and Compromise in History." West, Porter, Margolies and Paysen will perform a play they wrote about the Salem witch trials. Hansen and DeBoer will compete with an exhibit on the role Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play major league baseball, had in integrating the sport and society. Pence will present a documentary about the rescue of American POWs at Camp Cabantuan during World War II. Price tag: The cost to attend the competition in Maryland will be around $10,000 for the six days. That cost includes airfare, housing and the competition fees. The schools are looking for financial assistance to help with the cost of sending the 13 students on the trip. “If you would like the students to speak to your group, they would be happy to talk about their individual history projects,” said a letter written by the students and parents. “We feel this is an exceptional opportunity and experience that can benefit these students a great deal.” Contributions can be made out to the Aberdeen School District and sent to National History Day, Central High School, 2200 S. Roosevelt Street, or National History Day, Holgate Middle School, 2200 N. Dakota St. The telephone numbers are (605) 725-7723 for Des Camps, (605) 725-8222 for Perman and (605) 725-8223 for Gehrts.